Trees and Nonsense
by bluebook1496
Summary: This is a random story that focuses around our favorite X-men, Marie and Logan. R&R!


**Disclaimer: I own nothing...still...sigh...**

"Rogue, I swear to God if you don't get up I'll slap you", Jubilee hissed into Marie's ear. Marie slowly opened her eyes and squinted into the darkness, trying to tempt her brain into waking up to get ready. Wait…_darkness…_

"Are you honestly trying to wake me up when it's still _night time_?" Rogue whispered violently back to the outline of her friend's face. "It's like," Rogue flipped over to look at her alarm clock, "THREE? This had better be good, Jubes".

Jubilee tentatively sat down on the edge of Marie's bed. "Ok, so, remember I told you I had that date with Jake? Well, I kinda actually just got back…" Jubilee's voice died down when Marie pointed a _look _at her. "I know I know shut up! That's not the point here! Anyway, as I was walking up the stairs, I heard somethin' in the kitchen. Being the brave girl I am, I pulled on my big girl pants and went to go check out the sce-"

"Jubes!" Marie cried in alarm. "That is like the one thing you're not supposed to do!" After three years of knowing her friend, she could still be surprised by her lack of common sense.

"Jeez, if you'd let me get on with the story, _mom_, I'll promise not to do it again!" Jubilee said with an impatient roll of her eyes. "_Anyway_, I went to go investigate. So, I'm peeking my head around the corner like a total pro, right? And right when I'm about to surprise attack the criminal, I hear this voice. So I pause, and take another _real _look this time at the person, and I'm squintin', and I squint aga-".

"If you don't hurry this up _I _will slap you" Marie growled, already going back to the comfort of the warm covers.

"Sorry! It was Logan! And Rogue-y," she added, concern in her face. "I really think he needs someone right now. He's lookin' like a puppy without a home".

Marie instantly pulled back the covers and pulled on her plush robe, tripping over invisible objects on the floor. Right before she closed the door on her friend, she turned around. "Thanks, Jubes," she said with a small smile, and closed the door firmly behind her. While going down the stairs two at a time, Marie went over the possible scenarios for the Wolverines sadness, depression, whatever.

_Is he lonely? _Or_ Maybe he's just really tired? Oh my gosh, _Marie thought with a start, halting her in her tracks to the kitchen. _Did he knock up some girl? _Marie quickly shook her bed head hair and proceeded down the hallway. _Logan might be dumb, but I don't think he's that dumb._

As she rounded the corner into the kitchen, his deep voice reached her before she saw him. "Go back to bed, Marie. I'm fine." Marie rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen, taking in the sight of her Wolverine. The man was holding a bottle of water, leaning on the counter, and wearing a white wife beater and a pair of gray cloth sweats. One could say he looked almost normal. But Marie could see farther than that. Marie saw that the hand holding the water was shaking, and that he wasn't just leaning on the counter for looks, but actually for support. Marie took another step into the kitchen, and another step closer to Logan.

"Marie, I mean it, I-"

"Shut up, would ya?" Marie interrupted, staring at him with her big brown eyes that were plainly showing concern. "What's the matter, Logan? Is everything okay with ya?"

Logan laughed a humorless laugh and met her eyes with his own, which looked a little crazy to tell the truth. "You can read me like a book, kid. How do you do that?"

Marie kept eye contact with him. "Havin' ya in my head 24/7 does do wonders, I guess."

Logan smirked humorlessly again before placing the water behind his back on the counter. He opened his arms. "Come 'ere, kid. I need a hug."

Rogue looked questioningly at him and stayed put about three feet from the door frame and five feet from Logan's arms. Everything about him just seemed…sad, or maybe lost. She couldn't decide. "If you tell me what's up, then maybe I'll come over there. I just don't like what's goin' down right now with you."

Logan gave her a guilty look. He seemed to be dealing with an internal battle at the moment. Marie could see him weighing down the options, not really knowing what to do. She signed.

"You can tell me anythin', sugah. What kinda friend would I be if I didn't respect the trust rule?"

Logan nodded, slowly dropped his outstretched arms and walked over to the kitchen table. Taking the chair closest to him, he sat down in it and placed his folded arms on the table. He paused and looked up at Marie. "Are you sure you wanna hear this?" Marie nodded, and he started.

"Earlier this fine evenin' I was walking through the woods surrounding the campus. No little rugrats were hiding out, no enemies were lurking around. Nothing was goin' on, so I let my mind sorta drift along. The first thing that came to my mind was the trees."

Logan's face had lost its fake humor and had taken on its serious-ness, but the eyes still looked lost. Marie looked questioningly at him before taking a couple steps closer to him. He continued.

"I started thinking about what those trees do for the school, and how they are there every single day guarding the school from sight. They're kinda like the protectors of the school, ya know?" Logan looked into Marie's eyes for confirmation. Marie just nodded.

"So then I start actually lookin' at some of those trees, and I notice that they're kinda old. I remember reading somewhere that trees live a good long while, and so I'm thinking, dang, these trees have been here century after century, watching over the kids and shielding them from the eyes of the enemy. They've basically been doing the same thing, over and over and _over _again. Watch and protect, watch and protect, watch and protect. And I realized, that's what _I'll _be doing for the rest of my life. Not exactly watching and protecting, but doing the same thing over and over again. I'll be living, forever. And do you know what I realized in that very next instant, kid?" Marie could feel the emotions in the room going down the invisible drain. She took a few more steps towards her barely contained friend.

"Well, I figured out that I'm not dyin'. Ha, well, I know that that isn't really a _shocker_, since I've known it all along, but this time it just really hit me. I will be alone…forever. I will be beating guys senseless in random rings, grabbing girls I don't even want to know, drinking till I'm outa cash,".

With every single idea he was spitting out, Marie could tell Logan was losing it. She took those last few steps separating them and slowly ran a hand through his hair, trying to silently give him strength with her touch. Without pausing his ranting, Logan pounded both hands on the table, making the table's legs groan. "Makin' money I don't deserve, my family members dying left and right, and everyone I know _will be gone_!" And with that, the flood of tears came. Marie clucked sympathetically and guided his head to her, and with the side of his face leaning against her stomach, she continued to gently stroke his hair and face, murmuring words of comfort over his head. He wept silently into her.

"Logan, sweetie, I'm right here. Shhh, go 'head and let it out". She whispered all the other comfort words she could think of into his ears, and rested her head on his. Logan tried to get himself together and reached an arm around her waist, clenching and unclenching his fists. Marie tried again. "Beer, antelopes, and flowers."

Logan removed his arm from her waist and ran his hands over his face. "What?" he murmured into his hands.

Marie sniffled back some of the tears she had shed while watching Logan weep and repeated, "Beer, antelopes, and flowers. My mama used to say random words that made no sense to get us to think about somethin' else. I just thought I'd use it on you."

Logan took a deep, shuddering breath and let out a sigh. "You are _so _weird, kid".

Marie smiled and let go of Logan to lift his face up, forcing them to look into the other's eyes. With her stern voice, Marie said, "I don't want you to worry about that kinda stuff, okay? I'm planning on stickin' with you for a while, and nothin' will keep me away from you. You're my best friend, and I love you."

Marie bent down and kissed Logan's still wet cheek. Logan reached up and stroked his thumb down the length of Marie's face, studying it like an artist would a canvas. Marie smiled and straightened, pulling Logan up with her. Still holding her hands, Logan looked down at his Marie with a question. "_Now_ can I have a hug?"

Marie laughed softly and let herself be pulled into the embrace. Over the top of her head, Logan, with his eyes closed, whispered, "Thank you, kid. I love you, too".


End file.
